What To Do (and What Not To Do) if You Get a Holiday DUI in North Charleston

No one plans on getting a DUI. Getting a DUI is never convenient, and going to court is never at the top of anyone’s to-do list. But, if you get a DUI during the holidays, dealing with the consequences of your arrest can be even more frustrating and challenging than usual.

This might lead you to think about ignoring your DUI until the holiday season is over. But this is not a mistake you can afford to make. If you ignore your DUI, your case will proceed without you, and you could find yourself facing unnecessary consequences that negatively impact your life for years to come.

What To Do if You Get a DUI During the Holidays in North Charleston

With this in mind, if you find yourself dealing with a DUI during the holidays in North Charleston, you need to prioritize your defense. While you might prefer to spend your time preparing for the holidays, right now, you need to make sure you do everything you can to protect yourself from unnecessary consequences. This means that you should take steps including (but not limited to):

1. Make Sure You Know Your Court Date

First, you need to make sure you know your court date—and you need to make plans to appear regardless of whether your court date interferes with your holiday preparations. If you don’t show up, not only could this have negative consequences for your DUI case, but you could also face additional consequences due to your failure to appear.

2. Learn What You Need to Know When Facing a DUI During the Holidays

When facing a DUI charge in North Charleston, there is a lot you need to know. This is true regardless of the time of year. Learning what to expect, what is at stake, and how you can protect yourself will help ensure that you are making informed decisions every step of the way.

3. Talk to a DUI Defense Lawyer

While scheduling an appointment with a lawyer might be one of the last things you want to do during the holiday season, you need to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible if you are facing a DUI in North Charleston. Again, you need to be very careful while your case is pending. Your lawyer can walk you through your next steps while beginning to evaluate the evidence and formulate your defense strategy.

4. Work With Your DUI Defense Lawyer to Evaluate Your Options

When formulating your defense strategy, your lawyer will consider lots of potential defenses. While there are several ways to fight a DUI charge under South Carolina law, not all options are available in all circumstances. By working closely with your lawyer to examine all of the facts surrounding your DUI arrest, you can ensure that your lawyer is able to fight your DUI by all means available.

5. Focus on Achieving the Best Possible Outcome Under the Circumstances

Once you know what options you have available, you should focus on achieving the best possible outcome under the circumstances at hand. If this means negotiating a plea, then you should rely on your lawyer to negotiate with prosecutors on your behalf. If this means going to court, then you should work with your lawyer to prepare for trial—even if this means making changes to your holiday plans.

What Not To Do if You Get a DUI During the Holidays in North Charleston

In addition to taking these steps (among others) to protect yourself after a holiday DUI in North Charleston, there are some costly mistakes you need to avoid as well. Here are some examples of what not to do if you get a DUI during the holidays in North Charleston:

1. Don’t Ignore Your DUI

As we said in the introduction, you cannot afford to ignore your DUI. Even though it is the holiday season, you need to focus on doing everything you can to protect yourself to the fullest extent possible. While it might be annoying now, you will be glad you made the right decision when your case is over.

2. Don’t Get Pulled Over Again

When you have a DUI charge pending in North Charleston, you don’t want to get pulled over again. You especially don’t want to get another DUI, and you also don’t want to get caught driving on a suspended license. Don’t drive if your license has been suspended, and if you are able to drive legally, be especially careful to follow the rules of the road.

3. Don’t Plead Guilty

Unless your defense lawyer advises otherwise, you should not plead guilty to your DUI charge. While this might seem like the fastest way to resolve your case (especially if you were driving drunk), pleading guilty can lead to unnecessary long-term consequences.

4. Don’t Assume Everything Will Be Fine

While you shouldn’t plead guilty, you shouldn’t assume everything will be fine. The judge isn’t going to go easy on you because it is the holiday season, and if you are going to avoid unnecessary consequences, it will be because you put in the time and effort to do so.

5. Don’t Try to Handle Your Situation on Your Own

Finally, you shouldn’t try to handle your situation on your own. While you may not want to pay for a lawyer during the holiday season, hiring a lawyer to fight your DUI can be your least expensive option. With thousands of dollars in fines, surcharges, and other costs on the line (not to mention jail time and other penalties), you need an experienced defense lawyer.  

Request a Free Initial Consultation with North Charleston DUI Defense Lawyer Rad S. Deaton

If you are facing a DUI during the holiday season, we encourage you to contact us promptly for more information. To request a free initial consultation with North Charleston DUI defense lawyer Rad S. Deaton, please call 843-225-5723 or send us your contact information online today.